We Are Not A Codfish
by MsLane
Summary: 'Okay, which asshole hasn't returned the DVD I want yet' AU Emma really wants to watch a movie, but the person who has rented it has yet to return it and she's done playing around. She will get to the bottom of it, if it's the last thing she does. SwanQueen x


"Okay, which asshole hasn't returned the _Angels & Demons _DVD I want yet?"

Emma is not playing games. She's been back and forth for the past week, and this is the last straw, she's going to find out who it is.

She makes her way to the front of the store only to find a brunette with her hands clutching the very DVD she's been waiting for in her hands, her eyes slightly widening in surprise at Emma.

"You! Hey lady! Are you returning that movie?" The blonde quickly jogs the rest of the way, only to stop mere feet away from the brunette, with a grin on her face.

The brunette slowly nods her head, "Yes I…yes I'm returning it. So it would appear that _I'm_ the asshole."

Grimacing as she hears what she's just unconsciously called this beautiful brunette, she holds up both hands in surrender, as she apologetically smiles, "I'm so sorry, it's just I've been waiting for a few days now and I'm apparently not really good at being patient."

The brunette nods, her eyes taking in the woman before her, from her gorgeous blonde curls, all the way down to her scuffed, obviously loved, boots. Her brown eyes flick back up to meet Emma's green ones, a small grin playing at her lips, "It's quite alright dear, I was just about done anyways."

Emma smiles widely and turns towards the man behind the counter, "You heard the lady Jimbo! Ring it up and hand it over, I've got my DVD player waiting for me back home."

Jim looks bored out of his mind, "You know I can't do that. I have to go through the procedure of checking that it's in proper condition, that it hasn't been scratched. Then I have to figure out if I can give her the whole sum of the deposit-"

Emma interrupts him, "Wait-I asked you about it three days ago. She can't have had it all this week…"

The brunette clears her throat and raises an eyebrow at her before turning her gaze to Jim, "That's between the both of you, I, however, would like to be done here? I have other things to do."

The blonde scoffs slightly but steps slightly closer to the man, "Look man, the lady is obviously in a hurry, so just do us both a favor and move like you've got somewhere to be? I've gotta get to the bottom of this and she needs to be going."

Jim shakes his head, already sick of the mess he's undoubtedly brought upon himself, "That'll be $1.20 plus tax."

The brunette rolls her eyes but pulls out her money and hands it over without saying a word, at the same time placing the movie in between herself and Emma.

"So now Jimmy, you told me this movie was rented…and I came back here every day since the first day, and you kept telling me it's still rented out. Now this nice lady here hasn't incurred any late fees, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out that she's obviously brought it in on time."

The man rolls his eyes, "Look, it's not like I was keeping it from you on purpose. Someone else just always happens to get to it before you do."

Emma sighs in frustration but lets him get back to his job of typing up the information he needs, and instead stares at the DVD that's still placed in between herself and the brunette, her fingers itching beside her.

"Do shut your mouth dear, you are not a codfish."

Emma's head snaps up, her mouth simultaneously shutting as well, before she grins at her, "I see we're also Disney fans."

The brunette blushes slightly, her eyes not meeting Emma's.

"I'm Emma by the way. Emma Swan." She holds out her hand, a gentle smile on her face.

Turning to face the blonde, the slightly shorter brunette looks at her curiously before a hesitant smile forms on her face, her hand reaching out to grasp hers in a handshake, "I'm Regina."

Emma's smile grows as she mentally rolls the name around, "Regina. That's a nice name."

"Thank you Miss Swan." The brunette says as she slowly retracts her hand and turns to once more face Jim, who seems to keep moving at a steadily slower pace.

Emma smirks at that and leans against the countertop, still facing the brunette, but now having better access to her facial expressions, "Miss Swan huh? I just told you what my first name is, it's Emma. Surely you won't deprive me of hearing it now that we're friends."

Regina actually laughs having not expected anything like that to come from the blonde she's just met, "I assure you, if we were friends, I would be calling you…" she pauses for effect, and inwardly smiles when the blonde leans forward, an excited look on her face, "by your first name, but be that as it may…" she grins as she sees Emma roll her eyes as she stands straight again, a grin dawning her face nonetheless as she watches Regina continue, "we are yet to actually be friends. So Miss Swan, that is going to be how I address you."

Emma nods her head in understanding, but before she can say anything else Jim interrupts, "Goddammit, here, you take this," he shoves the box towards the blonde, "and _you_, here take your deposit. Just go take your flirting somewhere else, some people, namely me, would like to keep their lunches down."

The two flustered women walk away quickly before Jim can open his mouth to berate them some more.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy?" Emma asks, throwing a quick look back at him, only to find Jim folding his arms across his chest and tilting his head towards the door.

"I believe he's trying to tell us something." Regina says, tone dripping in sass, her eyes alight due to her own joke.

Emma laughs, "He's not exactly the person I'd choose to play the next Lassie."

The brunette's eyes twinkle further, happy that someone has gotten her reference once again, "Perhaps not, but let's not ruin his aspirations. He's doing such a fine job."

They both quickly walk out of the store and let out a breath they hadn't known they had been holding, having had to walk past the irate man to get out.

They take one look at each other and they both succumb to a fit of light laughter, the blonde throwing her head back and the brunette daintily covering her mouth with one hand as she does, not at all accustomed to laughing with someone she's only just met.

Emma still has a smile on her face when she rights herself as she watches the brunette before her lightly clear her throat and pass her hands down her front to smoothen out any creases.

"It was wonderful meeting you Regina."

The blonde watches as a larger, more unguarded smile forms on Regina's face as she says this, and Emma is taken by just how beautiful a smile it is.

"Likewise dear." Regina gives her a slight nod before clearing her throat lightly once more, and turning to head towards her car.

It takes all of two seconds for Emma to make up her mind, as she runs up after her, "Regina! Hey, wait a second!"

The brunette in question turns around at the sound of the blonde calling her name, only to be met with Emma skidding and coming to a stop almost nose to nose with her.

Green eyes sparkle as she whispers, "whoa."

Quickly stepping back, she looks down to see a patch of ice on the sidewalk, which she glares at before looking up at the brunette and grinning, "Look, uhm, so I don't normally do this, but you seem like someone I could really enjoy spending my time with…"

Regina's eyes widen in surprise. Not once in a million years would she ever think something like this would ever happen to her.

Emma tilts her head, "So what do you say?"

"Huh?" The brunette looks panic stricken, having not heard anything she's been saying, her brown eyes darting between bright green ones.

Emma raises her hand in a gesture of good will, "Hey, no it's alright…I was just saying, that maybe we could exchange information? I'd like to see what other movies we may have in common, that we can maybe discuss? I'd…I think I'd really like being friends with you."

The brunette watches the blonde closely as she says this, looking for any hint of maliciousness, or deception, and is pleasantly surprised when she finds nothing but honest hope and openness.

"…I think I'd like that as well Miss Swan."

The smile that forms on Emma's face causes a similar one to appear on Regina's.

"That's wow yeah that's…oh here you go!" Emma pulls out her phone and hands it over to the brunette, as she hands over her own.

They smile as they take back their respective phones.

"So…I mean I'll see you around." Emma says, her hand suddenly finding refuge in her hair as she smiles at the brunette bashfully.

Regina gives her a warm smile as she nods, "Yes, hopefully soon."

With that the brunette turns and walks away, leaving behind a giddy blonde who whispers a goodbye to the wind.

Suddenly a blaring beep breaks the silence that had been surrounding Emma, causing her to almost drop her phone.

**The Asshole**: _Just wanted to make sure you knew who this was, and not think it was an ex or something ;)_

_Regina_

Emma throws her head back and laughs as she quickly texts back. Oh yes, she's definitely certain this is a start to a beautiful friendship, for now.


End file.
